Saddle



June 9, 194 2. J pADGlTT V 2,285,869 SADDLE I File d Sept. '7, 1940 Patented June 9, 1942 UNITE D STAT ES FATE NT F F 1 CE SADDLE Jesse D. Padgitt, Dallas, Tex. Application September 7, 1940, Serial N0. 355,852

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in s ddle An object of the invention is the provision of a saddle in which the cantle at the, rear and the arched front or saddle bow are both reinforced by a leather plate of such rigidity in connection with the stitching that the cantle and saddle bow will maintain their arched positions, the upper face of the cantle of the saddle and the saddle bars being formed of a single strip of leather.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a girth strap and a support for the stirrup straps being formed of a single piece of material located upon the outer surfaces of the saddle bars adjacent the arched front of the saddle, the girth strap passing through openings in the saddle bars so that the girth straps will be located approximately throughout their length at the inner faces of the saddle bars and the depending aprons.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a saddle in which the intermedaite portion of a girth strap is disposed externally of the saddle bars with openings in the saddle bars for the insertion of the free ends of the girth straps so that these straps will be located interiorly of the bars, the intermediate portions of the girth straps being widened and provided with connecting means for supporting the stirrup straps located externally of the saddle, the cantle at the rear and the arched front being provided with a stiffening means for maintaining the cantle and the arched front curved upwardly.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the saddle constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a front view in elevation of the saddle.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a reinforcing leather plate for the cantle and saddle bow.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

I0. designates a pair of saddle bars which are formed of a single strip of leather and this single strip of leather is extended to form the outer faces II and I2 respectively of a cantle I3 and an arched front or saddle bow M.

A second strip of leather i5 is located at the inner faces of the bars [0 and is coextensive with said bars and the cantle l3 and the saddle bow l4.

A reinforcing stiff leather plate It is located between the sections of the strips of leather which form the outer surfaces of the cantle I3 and the saddle how I and that portion of the strip l5 which is coextensive with the cantle and the saddle bow. As shown more particularly in Figure 5 the reinforcing plates I6 at the opposite ends of the saddle extend inwardly beyond the outer edges of the bars l0 and terminate in sheared off portions ll beneath the seat portion l8 of the rider. Furthermore, these reinforcing plates as shown at H] in Figure 3, extend downwardly between the strips of leather l5 and I5 forming respectively the inner and outer faces of the saddle.

The outer edges of the cantle and saddle bow are stitched along the lines indicated by the numerals 20 and 2 I. This stitching aids in maintaining the curved contour of the cantle and saddle bow. An elongated opening 22 is formed in the top of the saddle and extends through the cantle as shown at 23 and also through the saddle bow as shown at 24. Adjacent the periphery, the pieces of leather are stitched as shown at 25.

A pair of aprons 30 have their upper edges sheared as shown at 3! and are located between V the lower edges of the outer and inner strips which form the saddle bars I0. A row of stitching 32 along the lower edges of the strips forming the saddle bars I0 connect the upper edges of the aprons to said saddle bars. Rows of stitching 33 connect the two strips forming the saddle bars and this stitching is extended over the top of the saddle as shown at 34.

A girth strap, generally designated by the numeral 35, has its intermediate portion or girth billet 36 considerably wider than the depending portions 31 forming the girth straps per se. The depending portions 31 are passed through openings 38 in the saddle bars ID as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5, and extend downwardly on the inside of the saddle as shown in Figure 3. These straps are provided with the usual perforations to receive the strap (not shown) which passes around the body of the animal.

The broad portion 36 of the girth strap is provided with depending tabs 4|]. The free end of each tab is returned upon itself, as shown at 4| in Figure 5, to receive a metal loop 42. The doubled portion of the tab 40 together with the saddle bars I are perforated in three places and a leather thong 43 is threaded through the perforations for securing the folded tab 40 onto the saddle bars Ill.

The stirrup strap 44 which may be of the usual type is looped around one bar of the metal loop 42 at each side of the saddle and depends downwardly. The lower end of the stirrup strap is provided with a loop 45 to receive the usual stirrup.

The leather reinforcing plate 16 at each end of the saddle has a thickened portion 46 which is curved as shown at 48 to conform to the curvature of the upper edges of the cantle and the saddle how. This curved portion, however, terminates short of the side edges to provide a flange I9 at each side of the plate which extends downwardly as shown in Figure 3 between the outer and inner sections of the saddle bars. The members 50 at each side of the slotted portion which aligns with the slot 22 are tapered from the inner end 52 of the slot to the outer end in order to eliminate any unnecessary thicknesses at the upper portions of the saddle bars which form the seat of the rider.

It will be seen by this construction that a very simple and inexpensive saddle is provided and this type of saddle can be employed without the usual pads.

I claim:

A saddle comprising strips of material connected together along the edges thereof and provided with a common longitudinal opening, the portions of the material at each side of the openings forming a pair of saddle bars, and providing a horizontal seat, said material having portions projecting beyond the ends of the bars and curved abruptly upwardly from the opposite ends of the horizontal seat, the opposite ends of the opening extending into the upwardly curved portions, a

' reinforcing plate disposed between the curved portions and provided with inwardly extending flanges with a flange located at each side of the opening and projecting downwardly at each side of the saddle, each bar below the lower edge of the flange being provided with a passage, a girth having a wide intermediate portion resting exteriorly on the seat, the free ends of the girth being inserted through the passages and located at the inner faces of the bars, and a stirrup strap depending from each end of the wide portion and disposed'exteriorly of the bars.

JESSE D. PADGITT. 

